Stratolander or Musicaster

[rob91bob]

I posted in the out of the box page my new pre-routed body. I ordered a swamp ash blank pre-routed to 7/8th scale with a Wilkinson trem and a universal top rout strat.

I have always liked the musiclander body but I wanted to put a strat pickguard on it. It's not an option on the musiclander due to the shape of the lower half of the guitar is not even close to a strat. So I decided to build my own. With a 24" scale neck.

That is my first rough draft of the body at a 25.5" scale. I had to add quite a bit to the lower half of the guitar and that made the top half look a bit skinny.

Today at work I printed out the Strat body to 92% and the musiclander body to 90% of scale in order to get the PDF of the 7/8 pickguard to work out nicely. I cut out the shape of the pickguard and taped it to the musiclander drawing. then I cut out the strat drawing and cut the lower half off and slid it under the pickguard until it fit just right, traced out the lower horn half. I then added the upper half and added just a slight bit to the waist. I think it has just the right balance now. I am going to transfer the drawing over to some 1/2" mdf this weekend and cut out a template. I will hold off and cutting out the body until I get my 7/8 pickguard in to check fit.

 

[rob91bob]

Also I am debating building my own neck for this. I picked up some nice figured 1/4 sawn Makore last week and some Bolivian Rosewood and waterfall bubinga for fretboards.

 

[AirCap]

Well, I like the way you interposed the Strat and Musiclander profiles.... But adding the Strat pickguard is just going to make it look like you chopped up a Strat body... IMO.

 

[rob91bob]

Some updates! I got my 7/8 pickguard in and finalized the design.

I may have to do a slight modification to the pickguard with the Wilkinson trem. I will see more when I get the inserts in.

A rough cut on the band saw.

Spindle sander to get it to closer to shape and start sculpting.

I need to round over the edges a bit more, some final sanding then finish!

 

[rob91bob]

Ordered a set of Porter pickups, custom wound Smooth with a bit hotter wind, and Vintage Custom Strat for the middle and neck. I think this will be a good combo, any Porter users out there?

 

[mayfly]

This is some very nice work!  Very keen on following this thread and seeing the end result

 

[TenThumbs]

Nice work.

Also, that waterfall bubinga is yumyumyum.

 

[rob91bob]

Thanks everyone!

Pickup unboxing!

STICKERS!

Nice mint tin style package

Beautiful set, I hope they sound as good as they look!

My neck will be next week. I decided to hold of on building a neck on this build, still need some more tools.

More details to come!

 

[rob91bob]

Neck update! I ended up ordering a Mustang neck 24" scale maple with rosewood fingerboard. I got it with no inlays and not frets so I could do my own inlay work. I love the thumbnail inlays on my Gretch and wanted something similar so here it is!

I hand chiseled the inlays with some micro chisels.

 

[BigSteve22]

I love the thumbnail inlays on my Gretch and wanted something similar so here it is!

Me too, love the Gretsch thumbnail fret markers. Nice job! Shame Warmoth won't consider offering them as an option, not that they haven't been asked enough times......

 

[rob91bob]

Thank you guys for the kind words. I got a chance to fit the neck and body today. Fits rather well, very tight in place with a slight bit of side to side movement. I think finish on the neck and body will tighten it up perfectly. The body and neck together seems so tiny to me but it is super comfortable to hold and I have the comfort contours super smooth. I am getting excited!

I am going to put some glue and sanding dust around the inlays tomorrow then possibly start fretting the neck. I am using EVO gold with it even thought the hardware is chrome. I have some ash veneer and I am thinking of veneering the headstock so that the opaque finish matches the body. I'll think more on that.

 

[rob91bob]

What a productive weekend. I got my frets done, inlay, logo, reshaped the headstock and some finish on the neck!

Evo Gold jumbos

Reshaped headstock and inlay complete

Water transfer logo and about 4 coats of lacquer.

Maybe a double neck in the future!

 

[rob91bob]

Time to start the finish!

Crystalac sanding sealer and grain fill





Mixing the sonic blue

A bit of Crystalac Bright Tone Gloss, some white to make it semi-transparent, then ONE drop of blue (stewmac waterbased paint pigments)



2 coats






Tomorrow morning I will give it a quick scuff with 600 and add the last coat of blue, let it set for a few hours then start some clear.

 

[rgand]

That's looking good.  :icon_thumright:

 

[rob91bob]

I got a few coats of clear on today and did a little mock up.

 

[Fender.Fan]

It’s really coming along!! I dig the color choice  :icon_thumright:

 

[fdesalvo]

In love!

 

[Archie Macfarlane]

I'm liking this...

 

[rob91bob]

Thanks guys! I have a few coats of Crystalac Bright Tone gloss clear on it now and letting it cure really well before I hit it with some 800/1000/1500/2000 buff.

I am off work over the wee of the 4th of July so I hope to get it all done then.

Bob

 

[Archie Macfarlane]

There's a part of my brain that wants to cross pollinate a musiclander and a soloist... could do with a knee nook for the landau/satch stretches